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Stillness during the Holidays? Rest during Christmas celebrations? If you’re like me, those seem like impossible thoughts. Here’s what popular research has found regarding women’s feelings during the Holidays:

  • 42% of women say hosting Christmas Day is single-handedly their most stressful job of the entire year
  • A British study revealed women lose 21 hours of sleep during the holidays (averaging 5 hours of sleep night compared to the recommended 8 hours of sleep)
  • A survey by the American Psychological Association found that more women than men feel stressed at Christmas and have a harder time relaxing and enjoying the season. “Which,” writes The Washington Post “defeats the whole point of the season, really.”

There’s a story in the Bible that perfectly illustrates the choice of rest. It’s the story of when Jesus is en route to Jerusalem and stops in for a visit at the home of his friends, two sisters by the names of Mary and Martha.

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As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

– Luke 10:38-42 NLT

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Imagine yourself for a minute as Martha in this story. It’s Christmas Day and you are hosting the entire extended family for dinner at your house. It’s 15 minutes before dinner is supposed to be on the table, the honey-baked ham needs to be carved, the dinner rolls are burning in the oven, the Martinelli’s cider needs to be poured, and your sister, who is assigned to help you in the kitchen — is nowhere to be found.

To say you’re a bit ticked is an understatement. You have the whole family at your house — your hostess skills are on the line — and if this meal flops, everyone is going to think you’ve failed. So you rip off your apron and begin scouring the rooms of your house to find your sister and let her know just how irresponsible she’s being. She’s not in the basement — not in the family room — not in the front yard either — the timers from the kitchen are screaming your name. And then you see a dim light coming from the den. You open the door to find your sister sitting with your 90-year-old grandpa. She’s just looking up at him, smiling as he tells another one of his war stories. And you miss the sweetness of this moment. Too stressed by everything on your plate, it doesn’t cross your mind that your sister simply wants to spend time in the midst of her hero, a man who might not be around next Christmas. Instead, you lose your cool. You complain to your grandpa that your sister isn’t helping you at all in the kitchen. But is it really about what’s going on in the kitchen? Maybe it’s the fact that for the past month, you’ve been running on five hours of sleep and two Starbucks Frappuccinos a day. You’ve neglected rest, and now — on this most important day, you’re told your sister has made the right choice.

I think we can all identify with Martha. She wants her guests to be taken care of, every detail to be perfect, and she wants to be an incredible hostess. There’s nothing wrong with that. Until — those desires distract her from spending time with her actual guests — in this case, Jesus. Jesus, the one intended to be the focus of our big Christmas dinners, the one all of this season’s activities are supposed to celebrate. But it’s easy to get so caught up in the “to dos” of Christmas that we neglect the guest the whole party is thrown for. Christmas, really, should be a time where we rest and sit at the feet of Jesus, and enjoy the gift of his presence.

This is the choice Mary made. She chose the “chosen One.” And Jesus was well-pleased with her choice. Prioritizing rest and stillness over “doing” is a radical choice. But it’s one that is always before us, especially during the holiday business. This Christmas, what will you choose?

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Rachel-LohmanRachel Lohman
Western Field Director

Inspirational

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